DESCRIPTION: The prevention of age-related physical disabilities and cardiovascular events are major public health priorities. Several studies suggest that physical exercise programs may prevent disability and cardiovascular events in older adults, but a definitive study of physical exercise and prevention of major disability and cardiovascular events in the older population is lacking. We propose to conduct a large multicenter long-term randomized controlled trial in non-disabled older persons living in the community to assess whether an exercise program compared to health education control prevents (1) ADL disability (difficulty with activities of daily living) and (2) combined cardiovascular events, including acute myocardial infarction, stroke, hospitalization for heart failure or cardiovascular death. Secondary outcomes of the trial will be (1) physical performance measures, including the 6 minute walk test and a performance score, (2) quality of life and disability scales, (3) lower extremity disability, (4) help with ADL disability, (5) all-cause hospitalization and duration of hospital stay, (6) institutionalization in nursing home and (7) all-cause mortality. The trial will recruit 65 percent women and 30 percent ethnic minorities. The proposed trial will be a definitive phase 3 trial of the effects of physical exercise on major disability and cardiovascular events in the general older population that will have important public health implications. The present planning grant application is intended to recruit and involve the Field Centers, an ECG Reading Center and a Core Laboratory, to finalize the details of the protocol of the trial, to propose and develop innovative substudies and to produce the Manual of Operations.